Leishmaniasis Factsheet

Leishmaniasis
A Global Disease with Regional
Challenges
Leishmaniasis is a complex disease caused
by more than 20 species of the Leishmania
parasite, with over a million new cases occurring every year.(1) It breaks out in foci across
tropical and temperate regions around the
world, in areas where the sandfly, responsible for its transmission, lives. In anthroponotic leishmaniasis (transmission between
humans by the sandfly) humans are the only
reservoir, whereas animals such as dogs or
rodents, also act as an important reservoir
in zoonotic leishmaniasis (transmission from
animals to humans by the sandfly).
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the
most common manifestation
of the disease, with between
700,000 and 1.2 million new
cases every year.(2) Although
it is generally not fatal, the
unsightly skin lesions it
causes lead to ostracism by
the local community, and economic loss.
Visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, is deadly
if not treated, and accounts for 200,000 to
400,000 new cases and 20,000 to 40,000
deaths each year. Characteristically, the
disease causes fever, weight loss, enlarged
spleen and liver, and anaemia. In addition, following treatment for visceral leishmaniasis
(VL), a non-itching or painful skin rash may
develop from six months to two years or more
after the apparent cure. This post-kala-azar
dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) occurs mainly
in East Africa and on the Indian subcontinent,
and is thought to be a reservoir for transmission. An additional phenomenon is constituted
by asymptomatic carriers, who do not seem
to develop the disease, despite having been
in contact with the parasite. Current treatments for VL are not optimal as nearly all still
require injections or intravenous infusions.
Adequate monitoring and control are key if
the WHO goal of eliminating anthroponotic
VL from the Indian subcontinent by 2020(3)
is to be achieved, particularly as the role of
PKDL and asymptomatic VL patients as disease reservoirs is poorly understood.
People living with HIV are prone to VL infection, whether they are prior asymptomatic
carriers of VL who become symptomatic or
due to new VL infections. In these cases, VL
infection can accelerate the onset of AIDS.
There are also concerns that HIV/VL coinfection may increase the transmission of
leishmaniasis.
Some key endorsers of the London Declaration have undertaken to sustain, expand, and
extend certain drug access programmes to
ensure the necessary supply of drugs and
other interventions to help control VL and
other neglected diseases.
While the last decade has seen
improvements in the treatment,
diagnosis, and prevention of
leishmaniasis notably in South
Asia, supported by the development of liposomal amphotericin
B, paromomycin, and miltefosine,
response to treatment differs among
regions (e.g. East Africa, Latin America,
Ideal Target Product Profile for VL
A new treatment for adults and children:
> Efficacious against all species of parasite
in all regions
> Active against resistant strains
> At least 95% efficacy
> Short course (1/day for 10 days oral;
or 3 shots over 10 days)
> Easy to use: oral or intra-muscular,
requiring no monitoring
> No contraindications
> No interactions. Compatible for
combination therapy
> Safe in pregnant and breastfeeding women
> For immunocompetent and
immunosuppressed patients
> Affordable
> Adapted to tropical climates
(minimum three-year shelf-life)
(1) WHO Fact sheet No 375, January 2014. (2) Alvar J, Vélez ID, Bern C, Herrero M, Desjeux P, et al. (2012)
Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence. PLoS ONE 7(5): e35671. doi:10.1371/journal.
pone.0035671. (3) Sustaining the drive to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases: second WHO
report on neglected diseases (2013). World Health Organization.
South Asia). DNDi’s strategy seeks to develop
new treatments that appropriately address
the patient needs, specific to each affected
region.
In an effort to address the unmet health
needs of developing countries, in 2013 the
WHO called for ‘demonstration projects’ (see
page 51) to provide evidence on innovative
mechanisms to fund and coordinate research
and development for diseases disproportionately affecting developing countries, as
recommended by the Consultative Expert
Working Group (CEWG). The ‘Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) Global R&D Access Initiative‘
proposed by DNDi and partners, was one of
four proposals selected in early 2014 to move
forward. The proposal seeks to develop safe
and effective oral treatments for VL patients,
and potentially for asymptomatic carriers
and PKDL patients, as well as diagnostics
for the detection of asymptomatic carriers. In
addition, the development of a shared openaccess database to identify determinants
of treatment effectiveness was proposed.(4)
Ideal Target Product Profile for CL
A new topical or oral treatment:
> Efficacious against all species
of Leishmania
> At least 95% efficacy
> Easy to use: short course (14-28 days),
requiring no monitoring
> No interactions. Compatible
for combination therapy
> Leaving minimal scarring
> Safe in pregnant and breastfeeding
women
> Affordable
> Adapted to tropical climates
(minimum three-year shelf-life)
(4) The Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) Global R&D & Access
Initiative (2013) Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative.
http://www.who.int/phi/implementation/VL_global_R_D_
access_initiative.pdf
Leishmaniasis
FACT SHEET
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF
LEISHMANIASIS?
A total of 98 countries and
3 territories on 5 continents
reported endemic leishmaniasis
transmission. Among parasitic
diseases, morbidity and
mortality caused by
leishmaniasis are surpassed
only by malaria and lymphatic
filariasis. It is estimated that
350 million people are at risk
of the disease, most of them
children. The annual incidence
is estimated at approximately
0.7 to 1.3 million CL cases and
0.2 to 0.4 million VL cases, with
a case-fatality rate of 10%
for visceral leishmaniasis per
year (i.e. 20,000 to 40,000 deaths
per year).(1) However, mortality
data are extremely sparse and
generally represent hospitalbased deaths only, so actual
figures are expected to be
higher. Co-infection with other
infectious diseases is an
increasing concern: HIV-VL
co-infection has been reported
in 35 countries worldwide.
HOW IS LEISHMANIASIS
TRANSMITTED?
More than 20 species of the
kinetoplastid protozoan parasite
Leishmania can be transmitted
to humans via some 30 species
of phlebotomine sandflies.
CL is most frequently caused by
Leishmania major, L. tropica, L.
infantum, and L. aethiopica in
the Old World (Africa, Europe,
Asia), and L. braziliensis,
L. mexicana, and related species
in the New World (notably the
Americas). Mucocutaneous
leishmaniasis (MCL) can develop
as a complication of CL.
Depending on the species of
Leishmania, the life cycle can be
anthroponotic (transmitted from
human to animal) or zoonotic
(transmission from animal to
human). In the latter case,
animals act as a reservoir for
the disease.
VL is usually caused by
L. donovani and L. infantum.
PKDL occurs during, or more
often after, recovery from VL. It
is caused by L. donovani and is
believed to be a parasite
reservoir for human VL.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
VL is characterized by
progressive fever, weight loss,
enlarged spleen and liver, and
anaemia. Untreated
symptomatic VL is fatal in
almost all cases.
CL is a small erythema that
develops after a variable period
of time at the site where an
infected sandfly has bitten the
host. The erythema develops into
a papule, then a nodule that
progressively ulcerates to
become the lesion characteristic
of the disease. Depending on the
species, CL usually heals
spontaneously within one to two
years, but results in lifelong
scars, which, depending on the
size and location, may cause
substantial trauma in affected
individuals, particularly children.
Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis
(MCL) is characterized by partial
or total destruction of mucous
membranes of the nose, mouth,
and throat.
PKDL is characterized by a
macular, maculopapular, and
nodular rash; starting from the
face, it spreads to other parts of
the body. PKDL is subject to
geographical variations and can
spontaneously heal, but can also
develop into severe or persistent
forms, requiring long courses of
treatment.
CURRENT TREATMENTS AND
THEIR LIMITATIONS
Existing drugs for VL have
serious drawbacks in terms of
safety, resistance, stability, and
cost.(2) They have low tolerability,
long treatment duration, and are
difficult to administer.
> Pentavalent antimonials
(sodium stibogluconate – SSG
– and meglumine antimoniate):
used for VL and CL for over
60 years. Acquired resistance
in areas of high prevalence and
high transmission. Serious
cardiotoxicity leading to death
well documented. Require a
30-day parenteral treatment for
VL. Registered in South East
Visceral
leishmaniasis
Asia, Latin America, and some
Mediterranean and African
countries.
> Amphotericin B
deoxycholate: first-line
treatment for VL in areas with
high rates of unresponsiveness
to antimonials and second-line
treatment elsewhere. Need for
hospitalization, constant renal
monitoring of patients,
prolonged duration of treatment,
and infusion-related adverse
events are notable drawbacks.
Amphotericin B displays
dose-limiting toxicity. It is
registered in South Asia and
some countries in Africa and
Latin America.
> AmBisome®: a liposomal
formulation of amphotericin B, it
is much safer and highly
efficacious. A single infusion of
10mg/kg has shown a 96.4%
cure rate in Asia.(3) However,
high cost and the need for a cold
chain limit its widespread use.(4)
Registered for VL in India, USA,
and Europe and used as a
second-line drug for the
treatment of PKDL in East Africa
at higher doses than in India and
for VL in Brazil.
> Miltefosine: oral drug
registered for use in India for VL,
but expensive(5) and requires
28-day treatment. Major
limitations include low
compliance, with risk of
resistance, and contraindication
in pregnancy and mandatory
contraception for women of
child-bearing age for the
duration of therapy and
3 months beyond. A recent study
in Asia indicated an emerging
lack of efficacy in monotherapy
in the region.(6)
> Paromomycin (PM): a
low-cost parenteral formulation
that requires 3 weeks of painful
intramuscular administration
and is associated with some
degree of renal and ototoxicity
with limited efficacy as
monotherapy in East Africa.
In 2010, DNDi and LEAP partners
delivered the SSG&PM
combination therapy for East
Africa (see page 28) that is
recommended as first-line
treatment for VL in the region by
the WHO Expert Committee on
the Control of Leishmaniases.
SSG&PM has been included in
the national guidelines of Sudan,
South Sudan, Ethiopia, and in
Kenya and it is in the process of
being adopted in some of these
countries. PM is registered in
Uganda (2011) and Kenya (2013),
and is in the process of being
registered in Sudan and Ethiopia.
In India, a Phase III trial
demonstrated the efficacy of
combination therapies of already
registered drugs: liposomal
(1) Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence. Alvar J. et al., (2012) PLoS ONE 7(5): e35671. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0035671 (2) Structures, Targets and
Recent Approaches in Anti-Leishmanial Drug Discovery and Development. Seifert K., Open Med Chem J. 2011; 5:31–39. doi: 10.2174/1874104501105010031 (3) Comparison
of short-course multidrug treatment with standard therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in India : an open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial, Sundar S. et al., The Lancet
2011, Feb 5;377(9764):477-86. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62050-8. Epub 2011 Jan 20. (4) Through the WHO, significant cost reduction of both AmBisome® and miltefosine
is available for the public sector of key endemic countries as of 2007. (5) Ibid. (6) Increasing Failure of Miltefosine in the Treatment of Kala-azar in Nepal and the Potential Role
of Parasite Drug Resistance, Reinfection, or Noncompliance, Rijal S. et al., Clin Infect Dis. 2013 Jun;56(11):1530-8. doi: 10.1093/cid/cit102. Epub 2013 Feb 20.
Leishmaniasis
FACT SHEET
amphotericin, miltefosine, and
paromomycin. AmBisome®
monotherapy and combination
therapies are recommended by
the WHO Expert Committee on
the Control of Leishmaniases.
DNDi is collaborating with the
National Control Programmes of
India and Bangladesh, MSF, the
Bihar State Health Society, and
the Indian Council for Medical
Research to assess the
effectiveness and safety of these
new treatments at the Primary
Health Care level and facilitate
their introduction for the
treatment of VL in South Asia.
In Latin America, DNDi is
participating in a study
sponsored by the Brazilian
Innovation Agency (FINEP) to
evaluate the safety and efficacy
of Glucantime®, AmBisome®,
and amphotericin B as
monotherapies, and of
AmBisome®-Glucantime®
combination to treat VL
patients. The national
guidelines for VL were revised
in 2013 based on the safety
interim data for AmBisome® in
this trial.
Miltefosine, potentially
teratogenic and has side
effects that make it unsuitable
to treat CL. Registered in
Colombia. Other treatments,
such as thermotherapy and
cryotherapy are used in certain
clinics, but are expensive.
> A promising approach is to
combine chemotherapy with
immune-modulation: initial
elimination of parasites with
chemotherapy, followed by
modification of the patient’s
immune response by an
immune-enhancing agent (either
a therapeutic vaccine or an
appropriate adjuvant) could lead
to quick recovery and control of
persisting parasites. Therapeutic
vaccines have yielded some
positive results for CL. Several
Cutaneous and
mucocutaneous
leishmaniasis
Cutaneous
leishmaniasis
chemical immunomodulators
have been tested for cancer and
other diseases, and could be
useful for CL therapy.
WHAT IS DNDi DOING TO ADDRESS UNMET TREATMENT NEEDS?
DNDi’s short-term approach for VL was to develop new treatments by combining existing
drugs and/or shortening treatment duration in order to increase tolerability, reduce burden
on health systems, and offer greater affordability, whilst also preventing or delaying
emergence of resistance. Another objective was to assess efficacy and safety of existing
drugs in other countries and regions to extend registration and availability to patients.
Leishmania and HIV co-infection is a growing problem. It is a very difficult to manage
clinical entity, due to poor response to treatment with frequent relapses of disease, and
is eventually fatal. DNDi is working with MSF towards better treatment for HIV/VL
co-infected patients in Africa using existing drugs at different dose/regimen and in
combination, and collaborates with ITM-Antwerp in a secondary prophylaxis study.
In the medium term, DNDi is assessing fexinidazole, also under evaluation for the
treatment of HAT and soon Chagas disease, for the treatment of primary VL patients.
Existing treatments for CL are
not satisfactory. Many treatment
regimens are associated with
significant failure rates and
considerable toxicity. Relapses
are common and there are
increasing reports of drug
resistance emergence.
> Pentavalent antimonials:
given as first-line drugs through
a series of intramuscular,
intravenous, or intralesional
injections. Serious side effects,
require long treatment, not
affordable for most patients,
variable efficacy and difficult to
administer in poor rural areas.
> Alternative treatments:
Liposomal amphotericin-B, not
fully tested on CL. Even if
efficacious, cannot be deployed
widely because of cost and
delivery requirements.
For CL, DNDi’s objective is to develop short, safe, efficacious, affordable, and fieldadapted treatments for CL caused by L. tropica and L. braziliensis – because of the
severity of the disease and its public health importance. As a short-term strategy, DNDi
is developing a topical treatment based on amphotericin B. In the longer term, DNDi
aims to develop a novel field-adapted modality of treatment for CL caused by L. tropica
and L. braziliensis that would combine anti-parasite and immune-modifying agents, with
a strong emphasis on safety, efficacy, cost, size of scar, and reduced need for follow-up
and interaction with health systems.
In addition, DNDi supports the Leishmaniasis East Africa Platform (LEAP) that aims to
geographically extend all currently available VL drugs in East Africa and to develop new
therapies suitable for the region, as well as to build and sustain capacity in the region for
conducting clinical trials.
By 2018, DNDi aims to deliver from its VL-specific portfolio:
> An oral, safe, effective, low-cost and short-course treatment
> A new treatment for PKDL that is shorter course and better tolerated than
current options
> Treatment options for HIV/VL co-infected patients
By 2018, DNDi aims to deliver from its CL-specific portfolio:
> A safe, effective, and shorter-course treatment for CL
15 Chemin Louis Dunant – 1202 Geneva – Switzerland – Tel: +41 22 906 9230 – Fax: +41 22 906 9231
dndi@dndi.org – www.dndi.org
- Photo credits: Graham Crouch-DNDi; Don Paul-DNDi; Fabio Nascimento-DNDi
DNDi’s long-term strategy for VL is to bring new candidates into clinical development
through its lead optimization programme with the ultimate goal of developing an oral
combination treatment.